Anna and Howard judged the pineapple galette delicious. (By the way, the crust for that recipe was the best one for flavor that I tried thus far.) They continue to survive my food experiments. “Food is fun,” writes Anna. Okay so what’s on the menu lately? It’s almost officially Fall. The temperature has dropped below the norm for this time of year. The hardy are still strolling around in t-shirts. Cool weather cravings for pasta and pancakes are aroused. The Simply Ming Show on Public TV inspires me to go back to sweet potatoes with a recipe for soup I can’t resist. Before I do that one, I have bought the ingredients for Red Onion Shortcakes from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook”*. (Oh carbs, where for art thou?”) I bought a lot of red onions at the Farmers Market and this looks like a good thing to do with them. This is a savory shortcake recipe. I only think of shortcakes with sweetness and strawberries. This recipe intrigued me.

Recipe:

Topping:

1 large sweet red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons of thinly sliced celery

½ teaspoon dried dill

¾ teaspoon salt

Juice of 3 limes

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chile (optional)

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, chopped (optional)

½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

4 ounces goat cheese

Herbed Wheat Shortcakes

½ cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon wine vinegar

6 tablespoons milk – I had to use 7½

Combine all the topping ingredients, except the sour cream and goat cheese. Let the mixture marinate for 3 hours. In a separate bowl, blend the sour cream and goat cheese and store in fridge until just before serving.

To make the shortcakes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheet or line with baker’s parchment. Combine all the dry ingredients – stir it up. Make a well in the center. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and milk. Stir quickly just to moisten all the ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, making 6 equal mounds. Space them a few inches apart. Press the mounds with 2 dampened fingers to make a shallow indentation. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the short cakes are golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool.

To assemble: Split each shortcake in half horizontally. Place the bottom halves on individual plates. Top each with a good size dollop of goat cheese mixture or about a round tablespoonful. Then add the onion mixture. Put tops on that and add another layer of cheese and onions.

Notes: I used one clove of garlic, instead of garlic salt in the shortcake recipe. The marinade turns pink! (Very pretty.) The 6 tablespoons of milk was not quite enough. If the mixture seems dry and doesn’t hold together add another tablespoon of milk. These shortcakes would make a good accompaniment to a hearty soup to balance the strong flavors. The shortcakes are smaller that I expected, but tasty.

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About kunstkitchen

Visual artist and writer hunting words, languages, visions, and insight in my kitchen - connecting Art (Kunst) and culture and slow food cooking. Credits: Do not own a microwave oven and never have. Do not own a food processor. Chopped veggies in a Zen monastery for a weekend. (Seriously) Classically trained artist. Paint and draw with traditional materials. Live in the Northland where it's six months of winter. Appreciate the little things in life. Sharing food and art experiences and the lessons that my talented and generous friends have given me.